Effective Database Management : Implementation Intention

8 November 2018, by Wes Trochlil, in Wes's Wednesday Wisdom, No comments

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In James Clear’s new book, Atomic Habits, he discusses the concept of implementation intention. Simply put, this is a statement that puts into words your plans for executing a new habit. As he puts it, “when situation X arises, I will perform response Y.”

This same formulation can be put to good use when it comes to data management. I often hear my clients say “I can’t find the time to clean up the data in the database.” While this may true, a clear implementation intention might help address this issue on a daily basis. Here’s my suggestion:

“When staff is in the database working on a record, staff will check the record for accuracy and completeness, confirming that data is complete in the following areas: [e.g., address, phone, email, key demographics].”

They key to building a good habit is clearly stating what the habit is, and when the habit will be executed. Many of my clients know this, but the piece that is missing is “clearly stating” the intention. I recommend giving this a try in your association.

About author: Wes Trochlil

“Wes was able to come in and offer tangible, relevant advice that made us more productive immediately. I value his understanding of databases but more so, his understanding of how nonprofits work. There was no lost time educating him about how membership organizations are “different.” Wes recommended changes in processes as well as tips and tricks that were easy to implement made an immediate positive impact.”

Mary Pat Paris, Executive Director

International Registration Plan

“We came to Wes because we were very frustrated with our existing AMS and we wanted to improve our capabilities as soon as practicable. Wes very quickly helped us through a process of identifying our needs, identifying potential vendors, and selecting a new system that we’ll be able to move into very quickly. I especially appreciated Wes’s candor about our processes as well as the systems we were looking at. He was a great resource to have in a period of high anxiety for our organization. I would highly recommend Wes for any similar project.”

Jack Chiasson, CMP Executive Director

National Association of Life Brokerage Agencies

“Wes was able to come in and offer tangible, relevant advice that made us more productive immediately. I value his understanding of databases but more so, his understanding of how nonprofits work. There was no lost time educating him about how membership organizations are “different.” Wes recommended changes in processes as well as tips and tricks that were easy to implement made an immediate positive impact.”
Mary Pat Paris, Executive Director
International Registration Plan

Mary Pat Paris

International Registration Plan

“This is the second database implementation we’ve done since I have been at Western Arts Alliance (WAA). The first I did on my own. This time we engaged Wes Trochlil as our database planning consultant. Let me tell you, this process is a whole lot easier having Wes on your team! For a small association like WAA, it’s tempting for board and EDs to question the justification and expense of a database planning consultant. But it’s the small associations that need Effective Database Management the most. Wes strengthened our planning process, clarified our needs requirements, helped us steer around solutions that couldn’t meet our objectives, and saved us money in the long haul.”
Tim Wilson, Executive Director
Western Arts Alliance

Tim Wilson

Western Arts Alliance

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